To Walk A Mile
by Lykeans
Summary: To try and walk a mile in a stranger's shoes is one thing, but to meet someone who already walk in your place and give their opinion about the matter is another experience entirely. A feeling entirely different, both educational and overwhelming. Two persons, both a Sangheili and Human being, from opposite sides of the war meet face to face and relate their past lives to one anothe


He didn't know how he got here.

No, that's not right. He knows how he got here, he just didn't know it would be this way. He was alone, confused, a bit frightened and dreading his fate. He was behind enemy lines on one of their planets, chained to the wall with a thick collar around his neck. His hosts weren't pleasant either.

These aliens had been asking him questions in the common tongue, a language he himself barely took the time to learn. He tried to communicate with them in his native tongue only in turn receive stares and more questions. He'd admit his way with the common tongue was elementary if not perfect. They even tried holographic pictures and literature to try and communicate with him, but he didn't understand the hieroglyphics the aliens showed him and confused him more with the sequences of pictures. So they left him alone with their large guards protecting the only door way in and out of the room.

The guards would say nothing, just stand there in their full body armor with guns in hand. Sometimes one would leave for a while and then come back just to continue guarding the door. He also noticed one of the guards was a female by the way her figure suggested more around the waist and smaller form then that of her male counterpart. It was quite a surprise in finding that out.

Another thing to point out was the food. It was weird and disgusting slobs of grey goop on a tray. He didn't know what was in it but knew it wasn't poisoned. They would always send one alien in with a tray of stuff they called food and have them take a bite out of it before passing it to him. It was a nice gesture, insuring he had something to look forward to without fear of eating out of the enemy's hand. Especially where communication was extremely limited.

Rubbing his arms up and down his arms always reminds him how naked he was. They had stripped him of all his weapons, clothes, and other accessories he had carried on his person. It's embarrassing really, to be in the nude in front of strangers. It was also silly, because the aliens clearly didn't care if he was naked or not. After the crash landing, he woke up with the large aliens pointing guns to his face and the smaller ones putting their tiny hands all over him, in removing his belongings and weapons. After they threw him in the cell and placed the collar on, they tended to his wounds and started with the questions.

He had no sense of time here, whatever here was. He guessed after a long time that he has been here for about a week, maybe longer by every time the aliens would enter his cell to feed him or ask questions. And don't get him started on the facilities when it came to using the bathroom. Unfortunately they gave him a room where the toilet and bed was removed and gave him a bucket to do it in. Right now the bucket was halfway full with feces and sitting closest to the door far away from him. This way if the guards can no longer stand the scent they will get one of their alien buddies to grab and empty the bucket.

It's kind of funny seeing the aliens' reaction when they come in to see the bucket in the doorway.

Well, while he's stuck here, there is only a limited amount of entertainment to be had. Until the aliens either decide to kill him or find a way to communicate. He wasn't negligent about the war, he knew he was in this for the ling run and not cooperating with the enemy will lower his chances of survival in this matter.

This is all this was now; survival.

With only small thoughts and tiny instances where he would just contemplate whether or not he will see his family again. If they were dead, or worried he went missing. If they would risk a rescue team to come get him beyond enemy lines. If they even knew where he was. The thoughts would become too depressing and would soon move his mind to happier times. His first hunt with his father. Teasing and laughing with his older brothers when he was just a kid. His mind anywhere, just not here. Then he would remember why he got in this situation and ended up back in a slow cycle of mental warfare.

How does a teen end up in these kind of situations?

The answer is 'they don't'.

He should've listened to his grandfather and stayed home.

The door opens and a small alien -female, dressed in blue enters his cell and catches his attention. Her face scrunches at the bucket and was careful not to knock it over. The moment her eyes lands on him, she squeaks and quickly covers her eyes. She shouts something in the common tongue and one of the guards answers, the large male guard shrugs his shoulders. The small female turns around and yells at him, walking out of the room. The large male flinches and holds his hand up gesturing something. She yells even more and points to him, forcing the large male guard to leave without a word.

Now he was really confused.

After a while the same small female in blue walks back in the cell with a folded green fabric in her hands, her eyes were held away from his body. As she gotten closer, she holds the out fabric to him.

Oh, she was sensitive of his nudity. That's a first.

He takes the fabric and unfolds it, noticing it was a large curtain. He wraps the thing around his shoulders, covering his entire body, and looks at the shy female, "Thank you." One of the few words he knew in the common tongue.

The female turns back to him, looks him up and down. She nods, accepting he was no longer naked and replied, "Your Welcome." Not in the common tongue, but in his native tongue. She gives him slight bow and continues to speak in his native tongue, "My name is Muriel. What is your name?"

He was stunned almost in silence. An alien knew how to speak his language, and had addressed him properly as such. He didn't know whether to be happy to have someone finally to talk to, or worried they may ask him questions he didn't want to answer. But the idea of an actual conversation instead a guessing game with the alien species had him curious. His grandfather had always told him he had a strange weakness for curiosities. This being no different.

So, in his native tongue he replies the customary greeting his people always uses when meeting new people:

"My name is J'kar Vadam, son of Nul Vadamee, and second heir to the House of Vadam."

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Hello fellow readers! For those who wish to continue to read this story as it is being updated, please follow me at Archive Of Our Own (AO3) [ ]. For I will not continue this story here, and will only post the rest once this is finished. For more details please go to my profile by clicking my username "Lykeans".


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